The Kavanaugh Report

As Nora gets older, I am constantly looking for new ways to help her explore the world around her and enjoy new sensory experiences. Nora loves animals, so I especially love finding ways to incorporate her interests into something concrete for her to explore. To combine sensory and zoology, I created these mini-sensory bottles! 

These small bottles contain natural elements -- grasses, sand, rocks, and dirt -- that might otherwise end up in Nora's mouth. While I'm fine with a little dirt-eating, these bottles allow for a different type of exploration. The bottles are designed to represent the ecosystem/home of the animal -- hippo, lion, elephant and pig -- contained inside the bottle.

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 
When used, the bottles make unique sounds and patterns. The animals {found here} and their habitats all move and feel different. 

For babies, this exploration of the environments is probably enough to engage them for a long time. I know that N…

I'm excited to finally share this project! If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I've been working on a farm play mat for the last couple months. 

My intention is to have the mat for Henry to use as a Montessori grammar farm as he gets older. But, right now he is not quite ready to use it for grammar work. Hopefully, he will start by labeling things as he gets a grasp on reading. For now, it's for play and exploration. Even Nora enjoys it. 

The mat is made entirely from felt and embroidery floss. Both were purchased from a craft store. To make, you need a large piece of felt for the base. Mine is approximately 3 feet by 3 feet. You'll also want some brown felt and multiple colors for the flowers. The exact colors are up to you. 


The farm mat includes a pond, mud pit, and several gardens. I sprinkled some random dandelions around the farm for good measure. Henry is obsessed with them. Each piece is hand cut and hand sewed with the embroidery floss. 

In the g…

The older Nora gets, the more interested in her environment she becomes. As a result, we've introduced more toys for her to explore as she has gotten older. Like the Montessori friendly toys I featured at 4-months, these are not traditional "work." But, these are toys that I believe are work well in a Montessori household. 
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. 


I've broken the toys up roughly by the month that I introduced the toy to Nora. Many of these toys she still uses today. At any one time, the toys are limited to a few at a time in addition to some more traditional Montessori items. I rotate the toys every few weeks or when she loses interest.  

Montessori Toys at 6 Months 
The toys we introduced at 6 months are some of the most popular we have. Even Henry will choose these off the shelf frequently.  Sensory Balls -- these are by far the most popular toy we have. Henry loves these, Nora loves these. They are on our shelves quite a lot! These are…